LIVE REVIEW: AMORPHIS + THE ETERNAL AT LIBERTY HALL, SYDNEY. SEPTEMBER 25, 2026
IT’S BEEN thirteen years since Amorphis last graced us with their presence. Tonight that injustice was forgiven as they delivered a sparkling set at Sydney’s Liberty Hall.
As the lights came up, they burst onto the stage straight into “Bones”, the driving first single from latest album Borderland. Headbanging riffs, Eastern-scale folk accents, pompish keys and Tomi Joutsen’s growl pulled together to open the set on a high note, helped by a mix so clear it was almost shiny.
From there it was one highlight after another as the Finns rolled out their multi-layered, textured progressive metal to an intimate crowd of devoted fans. “Light and Shadow” followed with its wildly catchy verses and power metal-style soloing; “Death of a King” added speed and further Eastern-scale elements, the clarity of Liberty Hall’s sound really serving the band’s deeply textured style.
While their focus is primarily the Joutsen era, Amorphis don’t forget their heritage. The atmospheric intro to Tales from the Thousand Lakes heralds something special and “The Castaway” crashes to the shore with waves of melodic death metal, Celtic scales and doom-laced darkness. More latter-day prog flavoured tracks followed – “Sampo” from the brilliant Skyforger set and “The Moon” with its complex harmonies and huge chorus.
But in a set of highlights, the true standout was “Black Winter Day”, their defining classic. Bookended with moments from “Magic and Mayhem” and “My Kantele”, Amorphis shone as their melo-death masterpiece rang out, Santeri Kallio’s 70s-inspired keys surging as Eso Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari carve out the folkish melodic runs and hefty riffing that now characterise their sound. The Gothic-flavoured “House of Sleep” rounded out the main set, taking the crowd in yet another direction. After a brief break they re-emerged with Queen of Time’s glorious “The Bee”, their slow-building prog epic that encapsulates Amorphis creative energy, closing off a performance that was thoroughly luminous.
Earlier, openers The Eternal had delivered an equally powerful performance based around their two most recent albums. “Lament for the Hollow” set the tone with dark melancholy atmosphere, heavy, doom-ridden riffs and Mark Kelson’s clear, brooding delivery. “Existing to Expire” injected further Gothic touches while Richie Poate added snaking melodies and soaring guitar lines.
“Harmony Breaks” upped the pace, driven by Jan Rechberger’s powerful drumming as he warmed himself up for his later turn with the headliners. That lead into the saga-length gloom of “Rise From Agony” with Kelson’s emotional vocals and Poate’s towering soloing – a fine band that deserves more recognition and a fitting touring partner for the main draw.
